His eyes narrowed and she could see she’d touched a nerve. “Now that wouldn’t be pleasant for either of us, would it?”
Fallon flushed. She’d never forgiven herself for the horrible action she’d taken that had caused his mother to lose her job. She wanted—no, she needed to apologize. “Gage, I’m—”
He interrupted her. “I’m here because Stewart Technologies is in financial trouble and I thought I could help.”
Her brow furrowed. “And why would you want to do that?”
Gage laughed without humor. “Is that any way to treat a potential investor? Or don’t you need an influx of capital to save your father’s company?”
“My company now.”
“I stand corrected.” He inclined his head. “I thought perhaps we could discuss the matter over dinner. My afternoon is rather full and I barely managed to squeeze in this reunion.”
“Dinner?” she choked out as she looked at him in bewilderment. Why would he want to break bread with her after their checkered past?
He tilted his head to one side and watched her, waiting for her to speak. “It’s the meal commonly eaten after lunch. Or do you have a problem being seen with the former maid’s son?”
Fallon looked him directly in his eyes and replied coolly, “Of course not. I’m not a snob.”
“Really?”
“You sound surprised.”
“If I recall, back in the day you wouldn’t be caught dead with me except in the stables or when we were alone.”
“That’s not true.” She felt the flush rise to her cheeks at the memory. “I didn’t want us to be disturbed. If my mother found out, she would have forbidden it because...”
“Because I wasn’t good enough for you.” Gage finished the sentence.
Fallon lowered her head. He was right. It’s what Nora had thought. But never Fallon. She’d been too much in love with Gage to see his class or station in life. Agreeing to dinner would show him he was wrong about her and that they were equals. It would also enlighten her as to his true motives.
Several seconds passed and she glanced up to find he’d leaned closer toward her. “Shall I pick you up?”
Fallon shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. I can meet you wherever you like.”
“Still not wanting to be seen with me, eh?” Gage uncoiled his tall length, stood and rebuttoned his jacket. A deep chuckle escaped his lips as he made his way to the door. “I’ll meet you at the Driskill Grill at seven.”
And then he was gone, leaving Fallon to stare at the door. What was his real agenda?
* * *
Irritation fueled Gage as he headed for the elevator. He was offering Fallon a lifeline and she refused to even allow him to pick her up for dinner! Her arrogance irked him, but so did her beauty. He’d hoped to find a spoiled, selfish shell of a woman, but instead he’d found a stunning and fierce ice princess. Fallon Stewart wasn’t the young teenager he remembered. She was a woman. And it angered him that he still found her so...so damned attractive.
When he’d walked through the door and seen her, blood had stirred in his veins and his belly had clenched instantly. He’d wanted to touch her. To refamiliarize himself with her exquisitely soft skin. To crush those sinfully pink-tinted lips underneath his and lose himself. But Fallon had cast her eyes down and acted as if she was unaffected by him.
But the willful sexy teenager who’d come to his bed in the middle of the night wearing nothing but a teddy was still there. Gage was certain he’d seen a spark flare when her eyes traveled the length of him. Now they were both grown and consenting adults, and it was time they finished what they’d started sixteen years ago.
Resolve formed deep in the pit of his stomach. A twist of circumstances had turned the tables and the Stewarts were no longer on top and in a position of power. Gage was. Fallon was exposed, vulnerable and his for the taking. Last night he’d come up with a plan for revenge to finally get back at Fallon and the Stewarts for their treatment of him and his mother.
Stewart Technologies needed cash and Gage was the money man. He not only had loads of it himself, he knew how and where to acquire more. He would convince Fallon bygones were bygones and help the company with an influx of cash. Meanwhile he’d secretly purchase stocks until eventually he owned the lion’s share and could take it away from them. The best part in this entire scenario was the chance to bed Fallon, the overindulged princess.
Today when he’d seen her, something indefinable had happened. It was as if the years had melted away. Gage had been hit in the gut with the incredible need to possess her. He didn’t want any other man to have her, at least not until he’d had his fill.
When he exited the building and slid into the Bugatti waiting for him at the curb, a new idea began to form in Gage’s mind.
What if he married Fallon! For his help in saving the company, he would become a member of the acclaimed Stewart family and finally not only have Fallon in his bed, but have the prestige he’d always wanted. Because, try as he might, no matter how much money he made, there was a certain echelon of society that still saw him as the maid’s son. Wouldn’t it get their goat to have him rubbing elbows with the lot of them? To show them he wasn’t just the underprivileged kid-made-good? It was a brilliant strategy.
Fallon had no idea what was in store for her tonight.
As he started the engine, Gage’s cellphone rang. The display read Mom. “Hey, Mama. How are you?”
“I’d be doing a lot better if you came to see me. You’ve been back for a while and I’ve yet to see you.”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been a little busy, and you were away on one of your trips. But I’ll visit this weekend.”
“Good. It’s good to have you back in Austin. It’s been much too long.”
“Yes, it has.” He hadn’t been home since he’d finished college and they both knew why. The Stewarts. Gage hadn’t thought he’d get a fair break in a town where Henry Stewart had so much power. But the tide had changed, providing Gage the opportunity to put a plan in place to give the Stewarts the comeuppance they so richly deserved.
* * *
Fallon didn’t have time to go home and change if she was going to be on time for dinner with Gage. A departmental meeting ended later than she’d anticipated, leaving her precious little time to shower in the private bathroom in her office and change into one of several dresses she kept on hand for such occasions. She chose a beaded champagne cocktail dress that accentuated her curves. Refreshing her makeup, she added a touch of blush to her cheekbones to go along with the mascara, eyeliner and pale pink lipstick.
Glancing at herself in the mirror, Fallon felt armed and ready for a night in Gage’s company. And she felt like she needed every bit of armor for this unexpected invitation.
Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, Fallon had wondered why Gage wanted to help her family. She’d come up with only one reason: comeuppance. After the way he’d been treated by the Stewarts, he wanted to be the one to come in on the white horse and save the day. Him, the man her father had thrown out of the house because he’d dared to touch his daughter. Gage wanted them to owe him.
Fallon didn’t much blame him.
Gage had every right to be angry over how he and his mother had been treated. But now the shoe was on the other foot. The Stewarts were the laughingstock of the business community, turned down by every bank in town because of her father’s poor decisions and financial mismanagement. Fallon hoped seeing